Girl Meets Study Date (4x01)
by PrinceTrexus89
Summary: Riley wants to take her relationship with Lucas to the next level, but are either of them truly ready?


**"Girl Meets Study Date"**

It was a Friday morning at Abigail Adams High School. Riley Matthews and her best friend, Maya Hart, stood by their lockers, getting ready for class. Riley had just finished brushing her hair and grabbed her textbooks. Maya was perusing through three DVD's she had concealed in her bookbag.  
"So, we've got... _Scare_ _Tactic_ _3_ ," Maya said, pulling the first DVD up.  
"Scary!" Riley cried in a high pitch voice, her eyes wide with fear.  
" _Buckets_ _of_ _Blood_ _6_..."  
"Bloody!" Riley cried in a high pitch voice, quickly covering her eyes with her hands.  
"And..." Maya let out a deep sigh, "... _Sparkle_ _Princess_ _4._ "  
A wide, bubbly smile spread quickly across Riley's face as she said dreamily, "Sparkly!"  
Maya laughed. Even though she and Riley were seventeen years old, juniors in high school, and Riley had now been in a serious relationship for the past two years, it still amused Maya how innocent and childlike her best friend could be sometimes. it was one of the things Maya absolutely loved about her. At that moment, three guys came towards them. These three were Riley and Maya's best friends in the entire world; Lucas Friar, Zay Babineaux, and Farkle Minkus.  
"Ladies!" Farkle gave his usual greeting to the girls.  
"Farkle," they both replied, though Riley's eyes were fixed dreamily on her boyfriend, Lucas.  
As Farkle walked into the classroom, Zay caught sight of Maya's DVD's. "Ooh! _Sparkle_ _Princess_ _4_! I love that movie! That's the one where-" he stopped and grinned sheepishly; all his friends stared awkwardly at him as he quickly cleared his throat and added, "I mean... uh... you know, when I was a _kid_ I loved that movie."  
"This movie's brand new," Maya said with a chuckle.  
"I mean, uh..." Zay corrected himself again, "my _little_ _sister_ likes that movie!"  
"You don't have a little sister!" Lucas said, laughing.  
"Man, leave me alone!" Zay cried out finally. "I like what I like and I ain't afraid to say it!"  
He quickly darted into the classroom. Lucas turned his attention to Riley.  
"Hey, Riley."  
"Hey," she replied with a giggle. Even though they had been together almost two years now, she still felt butterflies when he looked at her.  
"Are we still on for tonight?" he asked.  
"Yeah, can't wait," she smiled as he pulled into a kiss.  
"Ha _HURRRRRL_!" Maya said, making a retching sound.  
"Morning to you too, Maya," Lucas laughed. He went to kiss Riley, but just then felt the collar of his shirt being pulled as their teacher, Riley's father, Cory Matthews, appeared out of nowhere and slung Lucas into the classroom.  
"Not today, Romeo!" Cory cried out in victory.  
"Dad," Riley said with a sigh, "can you, like, for once just try not embarrassing me?"  
"Not part of my job description!" Cory declared. He started into the classroom and yelled, " _Yogi_! Don't make me get the hose!"  
Alone in the hallway again, Maya turned back to Riley.  
"So, what do you and Ranger Rick have planned for tonight?" she asked.  
Riley's eyes went wide. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Maya! I totally forgot it was tonight! Lucas and I had a study date planned, but I can tell him I need to get a raincheck so we can still have our movie night."  
"Oh no, you are _not_ cancelling your plans with Bucky McBoingBoing just so you can watch movies with me!" Maya exclaimed. "You are going to have your study date, and you are going to give me the gory details later!"  
"Gory details?" Riley asked, puzzled.  
"Of your mack session with Huckleberry!"  
"Mack session?" Riley asked, blushing. "We're just going to study."  
"Right," Maya laughed. "You're just going to 'study'."  
"We are!"  
Maya put her fingers in her ears and began dancing backwards, singing the song she always loved to sing when ignoring someone. "I. Cant. Hear. You. Badada da da dada dum!"

" _I've been waiting For a day like this to come Struck like lightning My heart's beating like a drum On the edge of something wonderful Face to face with changes,  
What's it all about?  
Life is crazy but I know I can work it out Cause I got you to live it with me I feel all right, I'm gonna take on the world Light up the stars I've got some pages to turn I'm singing oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh Take on the world, take on the world Take on the world Take on the world, take on the world Take on the world!"_

That afternoon, Lucas and Riley sat together on the couch in the Matthews' living room. Lucas was busy flipping through a math textbook while Riley was busy staring at Lucas.  
"Negative B plus or minus the sq-" Lucas stopped. "Why are you staring at me?"  
"Because you're so cute," Riley whined, "And because math is _boring_!"  
"You always get A's in math!"  
"Just because I _can_ do math problems doesn't make it any less boring."  
Lucas chuckled and turned back to his book. Riley was a good student but it always seemed like she was easily distracted, especially when Lucas was around. Riley smiled and began to twirl her hair. She put the end of her pencil into her mouth and began to lightly chew on it.  
"Negative B plus or minus..." Lucas trailed off again, as he watched Riley. "You know it distracts me when you do that."  
"I know," Riley grinned slyly. "That's why I'm doing it."  
Lucas let out a deep sigh. They were getting nowhere fast. "We need to study, Riley."  
Riley yawned. "You're no fun, you know that?"  
"How do you get such good grades all the time if you don't study?" asked Lucas.  
"I do study," Riley replied, "I just don't feel like studying math right now. It's just so _boring_!"  
Lucas sighed again. Usually when he studied with Riley, they had Farkle and Maya with them, and Farkle always kept them on track. Riley could easily jump from one subject to the next and never finish studying any one particular assignment. However, back when they planned this study date, she had really seemed to want it to be the two of them alone. He wasn't sure why; they weren't getting much studying done. However, he decided to humor her, and he shut his math book. "So what do you want to study?"  
"How about English?" she suggested. She felt bad. This study date wasn't going as well as she'd hoped. She had really meant to study, but math was just so boring and Lucas was just so... _hot_! She kept trying to focus her mind on studying, if for no other reason than to prove Maya wrong.  
Lucas pulled another book out of his bag. For their English class, they had been assigned to read chapter twelve of Nathaniel Hawthorne's _The_ _Scarlet_ _Letter_.  
"Do you want to read first?" he asked.  
"You read it aloud," said Riley. "I love listening to you read."  
He was about to argue, but decided against it and reluctantly nodded. He opened the book and found the page.  
"'Walking in the shadow of a dream, as it were, and perhaps actually under the influence of a species of somnambulism, Mr. Dimmesdale reached the spot where, now so long since, Hester Prynne had lived through her first hours of public ignominy'... where are you going?"  
Riley had gotten up from the couch and was now in the kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator.  
"Just getting a drink of water. Keep going, I'm still listening."  
Lucas cleared his throat and continued. "'The same'-"  
"Wait!" Riley cried, nearly making Lucas drop the book. "What does 'somnambulism' mean?"  
"Sleepwalking," Lucas laughed. He was used to this by now; whenever Lucas tried to read a book when Riley was around, it usually took him about five times longer to read. "'The same platform or scaffold, black and weather-stained with the storm of sunshine of seven long years, and foot-worn too, with the tread of many... culprits'..." His voice trailed off; Riley had made her way back to the couch and had come up behind him. She began planting light kisses on his neck, letting her lips linger just a little bit longer each time.  
"Riley..." Lucas whispered, trying to stifle the moan of pleasure that wanted so badly to escape his lips. "What are you doing?"  
"Don't mind me, keep reading," she whispered back gently, continuing her barrage of kisses on his neck.  
"-'the tread of many culprits who had since ascended it, remained standing beneath the balcony...of the...meeting...house'... okay, it's _really_ hard to read while you're doing that."  
"Then maybe we should take a break," she giggled between her kisses.  
"But the book..." he whispered, starting to lose his train of thought. _When did she learn to do this_? he wondered.  
She slid back down onto the couch and brought her lips less than an inch away from his. Her eyes halfway closed, she licked her lips and it was clear what she wanted. Riley couldn't fight her feelings anymore and she decided she'd rather have Lucas than prove Maya wrong.  
"We're supposed to be studying," Lucas murmured.  
"We are," Riley replied, her lips getting closer and closer to his. "I study you, you study me." Without another word, she closed the gap between them. Without pulling away, Lucas placed a mark in the book and set it on the coffee table in front of them. Riley placed her hand on the rest of the school books in his lap and promptly shoved them to the floor. The ferocity of Riley's kisses grew as she grabbed the collar of Lucas's shirt and lay herself back on the couch, pulling him on top of her. She couldn't explain it, but Riley could feel this hunger growing inside of her, a hunger for _Lucas_. No matter how close she pulled his body against hers, it wasn't enough. She wanted _more_ of him. Her skin grew hot, her breath grew shallow, and her body trembled at his every touch and kiss. She clung to him tightly, her fingers running through his spiky blonde hair, her lips pressed firmly against his. Riley traced the outline of his lips with her tongue, which surprised Lucas for a moment, but he allowed her access. Their tongues danced together as she grasped his hair with one hand and pulled his shirt closer with the other. A loud moan of pleasure escaped her lips as she released her tongue from his and again circled it around his lips. He kissed the edge of her mouth, to her cheek, down to her neck, and she clung to him, burying his face even deeper into her neck. Her breathing was hot, shallow, and heavy, as beads of sweat ran down her forehead. She held him tightly against her, kissing every inch of his face that she could, as he continued kissing her neck. Riley felt her body aching for him even more. She took his hand and began to take each of his fingers into her mouth, one by one. She kissed and lightly sucked on each one, before releasing his hand, grabbing his face, and bringing his lips level to hers. They looked into each other's eyes and smiled, both of them out of breath.  
"Kiss me," Riley breathed out. Lucas obliged and took her lips again. "I need you!" she cried softly between kisses. "I never want this to end."  
"Neither do I," he murmured.  
Trying to satisfy the burning hunger that still raged inside of her, Riley reintroduced her tongue to Lucas's and as their tongues danced again, another gasp of pleasure escaped her. She felt her control slipping, and soon she felt her body began moving on its own, acting on instinct rather than her own choice. As they kissed, her hands began to reach for the button on her jeans.  
Lucas stopped. He pulled away, Riley desperately trying to pull him back in.  
"Whoa, Riley," he panted, still out of breath. "What are you doing?"  
It was as though they were connected by a magnet; the more Lucas resisted, the more Riley wanted him.  
"Going with what feels natural," she answered with a hungry smile. "What feels right."  
"Riley, I-"  
"Shhh," she cooed softly, stroking his hair and teasing his mouth with her bottom lip. "Just feel, don't think."  
Before Lucas could say anymore, Riley pulled him into another deep kiss, her lips firm against his. The hunger built again as she slid her jeans down her legs and they fell to the floor.  
He gasped in surprise as she pushed him onto his back and lay on top of him, her bare legs straddling either side of his waist.  
"Riley, I _really_ don't think we should-" he started, but she put her finger on his lips.  
"Don't talk... just kiss me."  
As she brought his lips to hers, she again felt her body begin to move on its own, moving in ways it never had before, her hips rocking back and forth as the fabric of her pink panties moved against the denim of his jeans. It amazed Riley how strange and new this all felt, yet so natural and just... _right_ , all at the same time. Her body rocked against his, her tongue tracing his lips again. No matter how much they kissed, no matter how much they touched each other, she still wanted _more_! She could feel the uncontrollable hunger for him still building inside of her, and she was no longer sure if she could stop. Her heart pounded, her body trembled as it moved with his. It was getting a little _too_ hot, too heavy, too fast...  
Lucas pulled away and held Riley, who was still trying to move in for more, at arms length. He didn't want it to end, but it was the only way she would listen.  
"Riley, we really need to stop this, before we-"  
"Before we _what_ , Lucas?" Riley cooed. "Say it. I want to hear you say it. I _need_ to hear you say it! I need you so _badly_ , Lucas!"  
She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth; it was as though she were being possessed. She had never felt this confident, this mature, this... _sexy_. She didn't want it to end, and she desperately tried to move in again, but Lucas remained strong.  
"Riley..."  
Then, it all happened at once. In an instant, the moment was over. This magical dream with Lucas was over. And when she heard the all-too familiar voice from the stairs, she knew her life was over as well. The magical, sensual moment between the two of them that only they would remember for the rest of their lives was shattered with the cry of one single word.  
"UNDAHPANTS!"  
Riley's eyes widened in horror. Lucas bolted up so quickly that Riley fell to the floor. She quickly shot to her feet before remembering that she was not wearing pants. Lucas looked towards the sound, knowing he was probably about to die.  
Cory Matthews stood at the foot of the stairs, his face red and livid, his wide eyes looking as if they could burst out of his skull at any second. His finger remained pointed at Riley, and it was obvious that his brain was still processing the scene he had just walked in on, for he seemed to be at a loss for words... well, except for one.  
"D-Dad... I can expl-" Riley stammered.  
"UNDERPANTS!" Cory yelled again, his mad eyes darting back and forth from Riley to Lucas, then back to Riley.  
Riley had never felt more humiliated in her life. In the span of less than an a minute, she had gone from confident, sensual woman to blabbering, stuttering little girl. It felt as though Cory had dumped a giant bucket of ice water on her head as she stood there, frozen with fear and pantless, feeling like an idiot.  
"I...uh... I-I-I should probably run," Lucas said, quickly rising from the couch. "Far... and _fast_!"  
He bolted towards the door and sped out into the hallway, Cory right on his heels. Cory stopped in the hallway and watched victoriously as Lucas ran farther and farther away.  
"Yeah, you _better_ run, Chachi!" Cory called after him before returning inside.  
"Dad, I-I know what this looks like," Riley finally managed to say, "but-"  
Cory held up his hand and she went silent immediately. "It looks like a study date... _with_ _no_ _studyin_ '!" He gestured to her legs and added, "Complete with half-naked tonsil hockey!"  
He walked over to the abandoned math books on the floor. "Hello, Mr. Floor! Catching up on your quadratic equations?" He then turned to _The_ _Scarlet_ _Letter_ , still on the coffee table. "Hello, Mr. Hawthorne! ENJOYING THE VIEW!?"  
It was a nightmare. Riley was so embarrassed she wanted to die, she wanted the guillotine, the Chinese water torture, _anything_ but this humiliation. She knew there was no way this could get any worse. She could not have been more wrong. A second voice came from the top of the stairs, the one voice that could only make this already awkward situation even worse: her mother!  
"Cory, what is all the yelling ab-" Topanga Matthews was coming down the stairs when she caught sight of her daughter and froze. "Why are you in my living room in your underwear?"  
Riley's mind raced as she struggled to come up with a quick response. She was smart, but improvisation was not her forte. Finally she managed out, "Uh... the... the bigger question is.. uh... why-why aren't _you_?" It was a pitiful attempt, but maybe, _just_ _maybe_ , she would buy it...  
She didn't. Topanga folded her arms and gave Riley the sternest of expressions, the "Topanga Death Glare", as Cory and Riley liked to call it. "Care to try again?"  
"No, that's all I could come up with," Riley admitted. "I'm a little off my game today."  
"That's what I thought," Topanga said, turning to her husband. "Cory, explanation!"  
"Underpants!" Cory exclaimed. "Not really much explanation needed, honey."  
"Try again."  
"Two words, Topanga!" Cory declared. "Lucas. Friar."  
" _Dad_!" Riley gasped in disbelief. He couldn't _possibly_ be putting all this on Lucas! "Lucas didn't-"  
"Two more words, Topanga," Cory continued. "Study. Date. Exhibit A: Underpants!" He held his arms out at Riley as though he were a game show host. He moved to the couch and added, "Exhibit B: School books scattered all over the floor."  
Topanga's eyes widened, her mouth dropped slightly, and she turned to her daughter with another look, not of disapproval or anger, but surprisingly genuine concern.  
" _Riley_?"  
"Mom, I swear, nothing happened!" Riley insisted, but to no avail.  
"I would be more inclined to believe that, had your father not found you in such a compromising position. Sorry, Riley, but the evidence is stacked against you. So you'd better have a good defense to back yourself up."  
Riley cringed; her mother was a lawyer. Anytime Riley or her little brother Auggie would get themselves into trouble, Topanga would use court trial methods to evaluate their crime and serve their punishment.  
"Let me ask you a question," Topanga said. "How far do you think you and Lucas would've gone had your dad not come down and busted you?"  
"I-"  
Riley froze. She hadn't thought of this. Her mother had long since given her the sex talk, how relationships between boys and girls were supposed to work. But in that moment, when she had been kissing Lucas, none of it had mattered. She remembered the ache in her body, the burning hunger for Lucas she'd felt deep inside of her. None of Topanga's talks had prepared her for _that_. Would they have stopped? Would she have made him go all the way with her? She really didn't know the answer.  
"Didn't I tell you, Topanga?" Cory said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Didn't I tell you that something like this would happen if we started allowing boys into her life like this?"  
"You did," Topanga said, though not fully seeming to agree with him... _yet_ , anyways.  
"Boys like Lucas come into your life, they act all polite and innocent..." Cory said.  
" _Dad_!"  
"And just when you get comfortable enough to let your guard down," continued Cory. He again gestured to Riley. " _Underpants_!"  
Topanga turned to her husband in annoyance.  
"Cory if you say 'underpants' one more time I'm going to slap you in the face."  
Cory leaned into Topanga very closely, gritted his teeth and uttered, " _Undahpants_!"  
Quickly, Topanga's hand came up and slapped Cory across the face.  
"Owww!" Cory whined. "Jeez, Topanga! You don't just slap a guy like that without a little warning first!"  
"I _gave_ you warning, Cory."  
Remembering her current attire, Riley used this opportunity to inch over to the couch and grab her jeans off the floor. She quickly began to put them back on.  
"Anyway, Topanga," Cory continued. "The issue here isn't me, it's Lucas."  
"Daddy, _stop_!" Riley shouted, finally finding her voice. She finished buttoning her jeans and said, "This wasn't Lucas's fault! He didn't do anything, okay!? It was _my_ fault! _I_ started it!"  
Cory began laughing hysterically. "Do you actually believe what you're hearing right now, Topanga?"  
Riley's eyes filled with tears as she pleaded, "Dad...Mom... you have to believe me!"  
Topanga took a deep breath, let out a sigh, and said, "Riley, I want you to go upstairs to your room."  
"Mom, _please_ -"  
"I need time to process this, now go to your room!" Topanga said.  
"If you would just _listen_ -"  
" _NOW_!"  
Riley looked back and forth between her parents, tears streaming down her face now. "I should've known you wouldn't believe me."  
She turned and ran up the stairs, crying.  
Topanga collapsed onto the couch, her face in her hands.  
"And that's how ya do _that_!" Cory cried victoriously.  
"Cory, were we too hard on her?" asked Topanga. "I mean, she kept trying to tell us her side of the story and we wouldn't even listen."  
"Topanga," Cory said, "she was on the couch, unsupervised, with Lucas, in her un-"  
Topanga shot him her death glare.  
"Un... _mentionables_ ," Cory quickly corrected himself. "No parent would ever go easy on their child caught in such a compromising situation!"  
"Maybe that's just it, Cory," Topanga said. "Like it or not, honey, Riley's _not_ a child anymore. She's growing up-"  
"Don't say it!" Cory cried, squinting his eyes.  
"-into a mature young woman."  
" _Nyehhh_!" Cory shouted, putting his fingers in his ears. Topanga removed them. "Topanga, how can we treat her as a mature adult if she can't make mature adult _decisions_?"  
" _She's_ _a_ _teenager_ , _Cory_!" Topanga exclaimed. "I remember being that age! She's probably filled with all these feelings and desires and urges that she doesn't completely understand, and she doesn't feel like she can come to us about them!"  
"And the problem with that is...?"  
Topanga sighed. "The problem, Cory, is that gradually it will drive her away from us, and we'll eventually lose her. I'm not going to be _that_ parent, Cory! If Riley has these urges and feelings, then I want her to feel like she can talk to someone about them."  
"Maya!" Cory exclaimed. "Maya's always good about talking to Riley about her feelings and all that gushy stuff in their window-"  
"I meant _me_ , Cory!" shouted Topanga. "Maya's still too young to fully understand these feelings herself, and when that day comes, then I'm sure Katy will have the same talk with her."  
"What talk?" asked Cory.  
"The talk I'm about to have with Riley," Topanga said, rising to her feet. "She needs an actual _woman_ to talk to, an _adult_."  
"Why can't I go?" Cory asked.  
"This is more of a girl thing," Topanga said. "You wouldn't understand. Also you have a tendency to freak out."  
"Wha-?" Cory gasped in astonishment. "Wh-I do not _freak_ _out_ , Topanga! When have I ever freaked out?"  
"' _Undahpants_ '!" Topanga mimicked, heading for the stairs.

Maya had been waiting in the bay window when Riley came upstairs. Apparently she had been in Riley's room for hours, waiting for her best friend to come upstairs and spill the juicy details. She had begun to have her doubts, but eventually her plan worked, after all. Riley finally came upstairs... in tears.  
"Was it that bad?" Maya joked.  
"No," Riley replied. "It was incredible. The most amazing thing I've ever felt in my life."  
"Did you kiss?"  
Riley nodded dreamily. "A lot. Lucas is an amazing kisser. He's so cute and sweet and he just makes me want to-"  
"You know what he just makes me want to do?" Maya said, smirking. Riley knew it was coming, but she decided to let Maya have her fun; she needed a good laugh anyway. "Ha... haha ha... ha _HURRRRRL_!"  
Riley smiled weakly.  
"So if it was so perfect and amazing, then why the sad face and the tears?" Maya asked, pulling Riley into her arms.  
"Because my dad ruins everything," Riley said. "He kind of walked in on us."  
"Your dad _caught_ you!?" Maya gasped.  
Riley nodded.  
"He actually _caught_ you kissing _your_ _boyfriend_!?"  
Riley nodded again. She was quickly shocked, however, as Maya burst out laughing.  
"What's so funny, Maya?"  
" _You_ are!" Maya said, laughing hysterically. "Your dad catches you making out with your boyfriend, _so_ _what_!? We're teenagers, Riley, we're supposed to kiss boys and freak our dads out. It's like the circle of life or something!"  
"There's one little detail I forgot to mention, Maya..." Riley said hesitantly. "When Lucas and I were kissing, I... sort of... took off my pants."  
Maya's eyes widened, her jaw dropped.  
"You _didn't_!" she gasped.  
"I did," Riley said, feeling defeated. "It just felt so good, and I wanted more of him, and I couldn't control myself, and... yeah."  
Maya smiled. "Well, the bad part is, Lucas will probably die now."  
" _Why_!?" exclaimed Riley. "Why does everyone think that Lucas is the one to blame here? _I_ took off my pants, _I_ kissed _him_ , _I_ was the one who started it."  
"You think anyone's really going to believe that, Riles?" Maya asked. "Especially your dad?"  
"What if my dad does worse than kill him?" Riley asked. "What if he says I can never see Lucas again?"  
"He won't."  
"But what if he does?"  
"He _won't_!" Maya said softly. "I promise."  
A knock on the door made them jump. Quickly, Maya dived under Riley's bed.  
"Who is it?" Riley called.  
"It's Mom," Topanga's voice came from the other side. "Can I come in?"  
"It's your house," Riley said coldly. Topanga opened the door. "Come to yell at me some more?" "No," replied Topanga.  
"I'm _not_ breaking up with Lucas and you and dad can't make me-"  
Topanga shook her head, smiling. "We would never ask you to do that. Despite what you may think, Riley, I'm not mad at you. I'm just concerned."  
She eyed the feet protruding from under the bed. "Hi, Maya."  
Maya slid out from under the bed. "Darn, she's good! How did you know I was here?"  
"You're not as short as you used to be," laughed Topanga.  
"Darn!" Maya exclaimed. "Foiled by the feet again! This is why I'm not a kickboxer, toe painter, or tap dancer."  
Topanga laughed again. "Maya, if you don't mind, I need to talk to Riley alone for a while."  
"She _does_ mind," Riley said quickly.  
"Actually, Riley, I-"  
"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Maya," Riley declared, stamping her foot.  
"Not this time," Topanga said. "Maya can hear her version of this talk from her own mother, whenever the time comes."  
Maya nodded, and before Riley could argue, she headed to the window and said, "I trust your mom on this one, Riley. You'll be okay, I promise."  
And she was gone. Riley turned to Topanga.  
"What is so important that you had to chase Maya away?" asked Riley. "Are you and Dad _determined_ to chase off everyone I care about?"  
"It's not like that," Topanga said. "Riley, I need to have a talk with you. No Dad, no Maya, no Lucas, just you and me. Just the two of us, Riley."  
"Okay," Riley took a deep breath. "So what do you want?"  
"You never answered my question earlier."  
Riley looked out the window, avoiding her mother's gaze.  
"Riley..." Topanga said, sitting next to her daughter. "How far would you and Lucas have gone if your father hadn't intervened?"  
" _I_ _don't_ _know_ , _Mom_!" Riley shouted finally, facing her mother. "I don't know! Is that what you want me to say, Mom? Do you want me to say I don't know? Because I _don't_! I'm just so... so..."  
"Confused?" Topanga said quietly. "You have all these emotions and feeling and urges, and you don't know what to do with them all. Does that sound about right?"  
Riley rolled her eyes. "Mom, you already gave me the sex talk. 'There comes a time in every young woman's life'-"  
"Not exactly," Topanga said. "I gave you the textbook talk. But, the truth is, the textbooks don't prepare you for the times when you're actually _in_ a relationship, in the _moment_. Close your eyes, see if this sounds familiar."  
"Come on, Mom, this is silly-"  
"Just do it," said Topanga.  
Reluctantly, Riley closed her eyes. "I'll close my eyes, but I still don't think you could understand this. After all, you're Topanga. You're perfect."  
"I think I understand more than you give me credit for," said Topanga. "Do you trust me?"  
Riley nodded.  
"Then close your eyes, clear your mind, and try to envision the scenario I describe."  
Topanga took a deep breath and began. "It's a beautiful spring day. You are walking through a meadow, hand in hand with Lucas. It's a beautiful day, the sun is out, there's a breeze and flowers and bunnies."  
"I like bunnies," Riley said, smiling but keeping her eyes shut.  
"As the day comes to an end, the sun sets, the bunnies go home to their holes-"  
"Bye bye, bunnies," Riley said with her eyes closed as she waved her hand goodbye to the imaginary bunnies.  
Topanga smiled and continued. "The two of you lay in the grass together to watch the sunset. Lucas puts his arm around you and whispers that he loves you. He leans in and kisses you."  
Riley smiled; she could actually see the scene, herself kissing Lucas in the grassy meadow.  
"The kiss takes your breath away."  
Riley gasped as she felt herself become short of breath. It was as if everything Topanga was describing was actually happening to her in real life. As she tried to control her shaky breath, she continued to listen to the scenario.  
"The kiss intensifies, the two of you cling tightly to each other. Your breath gets shallow, your body begins to tremble and ache, wanting more of each other. If you don't have more of him, you feel like you are going to die."  
As she watched the scene play in her head, her memory of Lucas's lips on hers still fresh, she began to feel the same ache in her body she felt earlier. She could actually feel Lucas against her, her breath shallow, her body trembling. She opened her eyes and looked at Topanga. "H...How did you do that?"  
"I told you," Topanga said with a knowing smile, "I know more than you give me credit for. Was that how you felt in the moment with him?"  
"Yes," Riley gasped, still trying to regain her breath. "It was exactly that!"  
"Thought so."  
"How did you know?" Riley asked.  
"I was your age once too, you know," Topanga said with a laugh.  
"Yeah, but you're Topanga," Riley said again. "You're perfect."  
"Come here," Topanga whispered, taking her daughter into her arms. Riley put her head on her mother's shoulder. "I want to tell you a story."  
"Is it from the good old days of Cory and Topanga?"  
"Yes," Topanga laughed.  
"Mom I've heard all your old stories already," Riley complained.  
"Not this one."  
"Is it at least relevant to _my_ situation?" asked Riley.  
"Why don't you listen and find out?" Topanga asked with a smile. "You may also learn that your mother was not always as perfect as you make her out to be."  
Riley nodded and nestled into her mother as the story began.  
"So, when I was your age, your uncle Eric was trying to get into college. Before he got accepted to Pennbrook, he looked around a bunch of very low-level colleges. One of which was called Beach State University."  
"Sounds fun!" Riley exclaimed. "Sounds like they have a lot of fun parties!"  
"They do," replied Topanga. "That's also _all_ they have. They don't prepare you for the real world. It wasn't a fit for your uncle at all."  
"What does this have to do with you and dad?"  
"I'm getting there," said Topanga. Riley groaned; her mother's stories were always long. "Well, Uncle Eric decided that he, your dad, and Shawn should spend the weekend there and have a little mini-vacation. Your father wanted me to come with them. But I told him that your great aunt Prudence said I wasn't allowed to go. Truth was, she was perfectly fine with it."  
"You lied to Dad?" Riley said in disbelief. "Why?"  
"I was scared," Topanga admitted.  
"You were scared of Dad?"  
"No," Topanga said quickly. "Your father was always a gentleman. He never forced me to do anything I didn't want to do. I was more scared of what _I_ would do."  
"What do you mean?" asked Riley.  
"I knew that if I spent _that_ much time alone with him, then I probably wouldn't be able to control myself. I would keep feeling that same ache, that same hunger that you feel now, and we would eventually end up doing something we'd later regret... because we weren't ready for that kind of relationship yet. Do you understand?"  
Riley sat up and nodded. "I... I think so."  
"Honey," Topanga explained, "when you bring something like sex into a relationship, it... changes things. If you're ready for that step when it happens, then it's one of the most amazing, magical feelings in the world. But if you have sex _before_ the two of you are ready, then it could destroy the relationship that you worked _so_ _hard_ to build! The problem is, the ache and the hunger and those desires tend to hit you before you're ready. You just have to learn not to listen to them."  
Topanga stood and started towards the door. Riley took a deep, shaky breath and asked the one question that was still on her mind, the question she hoped her mother would actually be able to help her with.  
"How do I control it?"  
Topanga turned back to her daughter and smiled. She came back over to the window and sat back down.  
"I want to know how to control this feeling," Riley said. "Lately, it's like... like every time I'm with Lucas... I... I..."  
"Want to rip all his clothes off and attack him in a fit of lustful passion?"  
Riley nodded, and Topanga laughed again.  
"Sweetheart, it's perfectly normal what you're feeling. All girls feel that way at some point or another."  
"I know that," said Riley, "I just... I just don't know how to... stifle that ache, control these... _urges_ I have for him."  
"Well, luckily for you," said Topanga, "I do. But, before I tell you, there's a catch."  
"A catch?"  
Topanga nodded. "It's kind of a women's secret. Only the most _mature_ women know this secret."  
Riley's face lit up like a kid at Christmas time, and Topanga had to keep herself from laughing out loud. She knew her daughter; Riley would jump at the chance of being part of some special "secret club".  
"So if I tell you this," Topanga continued, "you have to _swear_ not to tell anyone about this, especially your father."  
"Dad doesn't even know about it?" Riley was really getting interested now.  
"Oh, he knows," said Topanga, "but can you imagine his reaction if he knew that _you_ know about it?"  
"Good point," Riley nodded. Whatever this big, sexual women's secret was, she could already hear her father's voice freaking out if he knew Riley was part of the secret club.  
"But I _mean_ it, Riley," said Topanga. "If I tell you this, you can't tell _anyone_. Not Lucas, not even Maya."  
Riley nodded. "I promise."  
"Okay," said Topanga. "The very first thing you need to learn is that time and place is everything. Always know the right time and the right place. For now, _your_ right place should be your room." Riley nodded eagerly. "Okay."  
"Next, always make sure you are alone. You don't want anyone to walk in on you, especially your father. Close your curtains, lock your doors, the whole thing."  
"Okay," Riley said, her face beaming as she got more and more excited.  
"Are you ready for the good part?"  
" _Yes_!" Riley squealed in glee. It was too easy! Topanga gave a small laugh.  
"Now, when you're all alone, in the right place, and it's the right time, then... well... come here."  
Riley leaned in and Topanga began to whisper into her ear. As she continued, Riley's eyes widened. Her jaw dropped as she took in the secret of mature women. In this moment, Riley was no longer a little girl. She was a _woman_ , with new access to one of the greatest secrets of all time!  
"You can actually _do_ that!?" Riley shouted out loud, before her mother covered her mouth.  
"Shhh," Topanga said softly. "Remember, you can't tell this to _anyone_. I want this to just be between us, okay? Kind of our little mother-daughter secret."  
Riley nodded as Topanga rose to her feet.  
"Mom," said Riley, a little nervous. "How will I know when it's... the right time?"  
"You'll know..." Topanga replied with a warm smile, "You just... will."  
"And you're sure it will work?" asked Riley.  
"Every time."  
Topanga headed towards the door as Riley looked back out the window. She opened the door, then stopped. Much to Riley's confusion, Topanga spun around and said very loudly, "Now I want you to stay in here and think about what what you've done!"  
"You tell her, honey!" came Cory's voice from downstairs.  
"Mom, I thought you said I wasn't in trouble?" Riley asked, clearly confused.  
Topanga cleared her throat and repeated, again very loudly, "Don't argue with me! I want you to stay in here, and _think_ _about_ _what_ _you've_ _done_!"  
Topanga winked. Riley's eyes widened. "Ohhhhh!"  
"Shhhh," her mother whispered, a finger to her lips. She then said, loudly again, "You may come downstairs when you've _learned_ _your_ _lesson_."  
As Topanga shut the door, she leaned her back against it and said to herself, a joyful tear running down her face, "My baby's growing up into a woman!"  
After about a minute, she heard the click of the door's lock and headed downstairs.

"So, did you give her the good old what-for?"  
Cory was waiting at the foot of the stairs, eager for details.  
"I did," Topanga said with a smile.  
"So..." Cory said. "How do we kill the cowboy?"  
"Cory," Topanga said, "Do you trust our daughter?"  
"What kind of question is that, Topanga? Of course I do!"  
"Then why don't you believe her when she says that _she_ was the one who started it?" demanded Topanga.  
"Because," Cory said. "This is _Riley_ we're talking about!"  
"Exactly," Topanga said, "and you have this delusion in your head that she is this innocent naive little girl that is always going to stay that way forever."  
"Topanga, Riley doesn't know anything about sex, she's definitely too young to be _having_ any!"  
"That doesn't mean she's not starting to have those urges and desires, Cory!" Topanga snapped. "It's time you accept that our sweet little girl is growing up into a young woman. She has a steady boyfriend, she's going to be kissing him and feeing those same sexual desires that we felt at that age. The important thing is that we teach her how to _handle_ them, so she doesn't make any bad choices."  
Cory let out a deep sigh.  
"I know you don't want to accept that she's growing up, Cory, but you _have_ to, or you'll never understand her."  
"Topanga..." Cory said. "Let's just say that I buy this whole 'Riley started it' story. You can't put Lucas on a pedestal and act like he's a saint either."  
"Cory, Riley is his first real girlfriend!" exclaimed Topanga. "He probably doesn't know what he's doing any more than she does! Lucas is sweet, polite, charming, and a perfect gentleman to Riley."  
"Come on, Topanga!" said Cory, walking towards the door. "He's a _guy_! It's not like he's going to show up at the door, dressed in a three-piece suit, holding a bouquet of roses, professing his undying love for our daughter!"  
Cory opened the door, his back still facing it. "See!?"  
Topanga laughed. "Look behind you, Cory."  
Cory spun around and nearly screamed; Lucas stood in the doorway, dressed in a three-piece suit, holding a bouquet of roses. He looked extremely nervous. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could, Cory slammed the door in his face and yelled, "NO!"  
"Cory!" shouted Topanga, rushing towards the door. He blocked her path.  
"NO!" he said again.  
"Cory, let him in!" Topanga demanded.  
"No!"  
"Give him a chance!" she ordered.  
"No!"  
"She's growing up, Cory!"  
"...No!" Cory whined.  
"Like it or not, Cory," said Topanga, "Riley is growing up into a woman, and you have to accept that fact!"  
"I don't wanna!" Cory complained. He dropped his arms in defeat and Topanga pushed past him. She opened the door; Lucas still stood there, his face perplexed.  
"Hi," Topanga said.  
"Hello, Mrs. Matthews. You look nice," Lucas said politely.  
"Come inside, we'd like to talk to you," said Topanga. She took the flowers from Lucas's hands. "I'll make sure Riley gets these."  
"Those actually aren't for Riley," Lucas said, adjusting his tie. "They're for you."  
"What, my daughter's not good enough, now you gotta take my _wife_ , too!?" Cory gasped.  
"Cory!" Topanga scolded. "Lucas, why are you bringing me flowers?"  
Lucas took a deep breath and began to explain. "Earlier today, Mr. Matthews found me in a very compromising position with Riley, and I just want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt your daughter. I love Riley, and I would _never_ take advantage of her. Also my parents raised me to wait to do... _that_ , with the girl I marry. I don't know if you believe me, but it's the truth."  
"I do believe you, Lucas," said Topanga calmly.  
"You do?" asked Lucas.  
"You do?" asked Cory.  
"Yes," Topanga replied. "I had a talk with Riley, and she told me everything."  
Lucas gulped. " _Everything_?"  
"Well..." Topanga added with a warm smile. "She didn't go into the gory details. I figured you could keep that little gem between the two of you."  
"Thank you, Mrs. Matthews," said Lucas.  
"She also told me that _she_ was the one to initiate it all, and she was very insistent that none of the blame fall to you."  
"Riley is a good person," said Lucas. "She's not usually-"  
Topanga held up her hand to silence him. "I know, Lucas. She's going through a bunch of new feelings she's never felt before, as I'm sure you are."  
Lucas nodded.  
"Now, _surely_ you didn't come here just to bring me flowers?" asked Topanga.  
"Actually," said Lucas, "I was wondering if you would be willing to allow Riley to go to a movie with me tonight."  
"NO!" shouted Cory.  
"Cory!" snapped Topanga. "Yes, Riley may go to a movie with you, Lucas. However, I want to talk to the two of you together before you leave."  
She moved to the foot of the stairs and called up. "Riley! Lucas is here to see you!"  
A few moments later, Riley appeared at the top of the stairs. Her eyes were wide, almost in a trance, and her mouth was frozen in a wide, goofy smile. She let out a low, silly giggle. Topanga started up the stairs and met her at the top.  
"Feel better?" She murmured, low enough to be out of her husband's earshot.  
Riley nodded vigorously.  
"Did it work?"  
" _Yes_!" exclaimed Riley, careful not to let her father hear. "So good! Thank you!"  
Riley looked over at Lucas, saw his suit, and let out a quick scream, realizing her own attire. Quickly, she bolted into her room. Topanga laughed and headed back down the stairs.  
No sooner had she reached the foot of the stairs than Riley reappeared at the top, wearing a glittery royal purple dress. In the very short amount of time she'd had to change, she had also managed to style her hair.  
"Lucas, hello!" she said in a low, sultry voice.  
"Wow," Lucas marveled. "You... you look amazing, Riley."  
"Oh, this?" she laughed, pointing to her dress, "I just threw on anything, you know!"  
"Well, you look beautiful," he said. "Would you like to go see a movie with me tonight?"  
"I'd love to!" Riley said quickly.  
"I bought four tickets," Lucas said, reaching into his pocket, "in case your parents wanted to join us."  
Riley's face dropped. "You want our movie date to be _chaperoned_?"  
"I was thinking more like a double date," replied Lucas with a smile.  
" _Yes_!" exclaimed Cory. "You know, Topanga, maybe you're right about him!"  
"Thank you for the offer, Lucas," said Topanga, "but we're going to have to decline."  
"No!" cried Cory.  
"Yes, Cory."  
"Yes?"  
"Yes," Topanga said, putting her foot down. "I think we can trust them to go out to a movie on their own. Go on, have fun."  
"What about your tickets?" asked Lucas.  
"Return them," Topanga replied, "and take Riley out for a nice dinner."  
Cory took a step towards Lucas. Lucas flinched. Cory reached into his wallet and pulled out a bill.  
"Here," he said, handing Lucas the money. "Take it. Give my daughter a nice date."  
"Thank you, sir," Lucas said, shaking Cory's hand.  
"You're a good guy, Lucas. One of the few. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions about you."  
"Before you leave," said Topanga. "I need to have a quick talk with the two of you."  
Cory stood next to his wife as Lucas hesitantly put his arm around Riley's shoulder.  
"If you two are going to be making this relationship more serious," said Topanga, "then we are going to establish some ground rules. First, we don't mind if the two of you kiss, but clothes will be worn at _all_ _times_!"  
She looked at Riley, who quickly nodded.  
"Second, I am to find absolutely no marks whatsoever on my daughter after your dates."  
"Marks?" asked Lucas.  
" _Hickeys_ , ya maroon!" hissed Cory.  
"Oh..." said Lucas. "Of course. I promise."  
"Third," continued Topanga. "The two of you will have a curfew. Riley is to be home by that curfew, or there _will_ be consequences."  
"Yes, Ma'am," Lucas said with a nod.  
"Ten!" shouted Cory.  
" _Twelve_ ," said Topanga. "I think that's more than fair."  
Riley's eyes widened. A twelve o'clock curfew? She had never been allowed to stay out that late!  
"Finally," Topanga said, "just enjoy each other's company, and have fun. Don't obsess on what you think you're _supposed_ to do. Just be together, and be happy."  
Riley smiled. "Thanks, Mom."  
"Now go on, get out of here."  
Lucas and Riley headed out into the hallway. As Lucas started to head down the hallway, Riley grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.  
"Riley, wh-" he started, but she interrupted his lips with hers as she pulled him into a kiss. As they parted, Riley bit her bottom lip and looked into Lucas's eyes. He stroked her hair back.  
"What was that for?" he asked.  
"Because I felt like it," Riley replied with a smile. Hand in hand, they left for the movies.

Later that night, after the movie, Lucas sat on the subway, Riley sitting in his lap, her head on his shoulder.  
"Lucas," she said softly, "Did you... _enjoy_ what we did earlier?"  
"Of course I did, Riley," said Lucas, "but I know we're not ready for _that_ kind of relationship yet. I only asked you to stop because I felt myself losing control and I didn't want to... take advantage of you."  
"Do you think if my dad hadn't shown up, we would've... you know... actually had sex?"  
"I think it's very possible," he replied, "But I'm not going to rush this, Riley. We have all the time in the world. I'll wait for you as long as it takes."  
Sitting up, she put her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. They parted, and Riley looked into Lucas's eyes.  
"Hi," she said, "I'm Riley. We were just talking about you."  
Lucas smiled. They were in the same spot they had met, the same spot they had gone on their first date, and both those times Riley had ended up in his lap as well.  
"I'm Lucas," he said, stroking her cheek.  
"I love it," she said with a smile.  
"I love you."  
Riley froze, her heart skipping a beat; she and Lucas had never actually said they loved each other yet. "You...you love me?"  
"Of course," he said with a smile. "I think I always have."  
She kissed him again and said, "I love you too, Lucas."  
She put her head back on his shoulder and they sat in silence for a moment.  
"You know," he finally said. "Just because we're not ready to have sex yet doesn't mean we can't have a _little_ fun."  
Riley's face lit up. "Want to make out the rest of the way home?"  
"You read my mind," he said with a grin.  
She pulled him in close and they kissed, again and again. A few people stared but Riley didn't mind. All that mattered in this moment was that she was in love with Lucas Friar. They kissed the rest of the train ride home, and Riley knew that before the night was over, she would probably need some alone time in her bedroom when she got home.

The End


End file.
